Liz and I enjoy GeoTours because they combine traveling, sightseeing, and geocaching. And one place that we have always wanted to visit is Seattle, and to checkout Geocaching HQ. During our recent visit for the 2014 Geocaching Block Party, (Watch our Vlog of 2014 Geocaching Block Party HERE), we finally had that chance to visit HQ and check their GeoTour!
The Geocaching HQ GeoTour takes cachers all around the vibrant Fremont neighborhood around HQ. Of course, any cacher that is visiting HQ is going to do the HQ cache, but some of the best caches around Seattle are on the HQ GeoTour. So we picked up our HQ GeoTour passport book at the Geocaching HQ front desk, and we were off.
Geocaching HQ GeoTour in the Vibrant Neighborhood of Fremont, Seattle
The Geocaching HQ GeoTour consist of 9 caches, located all around the Fremont Neighborhood of Seattle. It is a great mix of caches including traditional, multi-caches, letterbox, and some really great puzzle caches. This makes for a fun GeoTour. Some of the caches on the tour are world famous caches that we have always wanted to experience, such as those you may have seen before on YouTube.
The caches are all placed within walking distance of the Geocaching HQ within the blocks of the Fremont Neighborhood. This laid back area has a quirky personality, and is very geocaching friendly. I mean, the center on the universe is located right in Fremont (as you will discover), as well as the center of the geocaching universe…so it all makes sense.
Popular Geocaches on the HQ GeoTour
During our visit, we took a break from the Block Party to grab some of these well known caches on the HQ GeoTour. But as some might know, during Mega Events it can be a little tough to get the full geocaching experience because of the lines of Geocachers that gather near the caches. Still, we enjoyed meeting Cachers from all over the world and being able to go out caching with them.
For instance, one of our favorite caches on the tour (and one that we looked forward to the most) was the infamous Phone Booth Cache. Some might have seen this cache on YouTube before, but it is amazing and so well thought out that we could not miss it. Plus we needed our stamp. This cache had Liz and I stumped and for a little while and just could not crack the code. Luckily, a couple of friends from West Virginia came over and we were able to figure it out together. Great cache and so glad that we were able to work together to crack the code.
Because we were busy most of the day at the Block Party, we only found a few caches on the GeoTour on Saturday. The rest we found the next day, after the buzz of the event was over. With Sunday being much more quiet and free from the mass of Geocachers, we were able to locate the final caches of the GeoTour and get the full experience of finding them for ourselves.
Who Needs to Pay for a Tour of Seattle When You Can do a GeoTour?
Another iconic cache that we discovered during Geocaching Block Party was the world famous Troll Bridge Cache. Located right down and around the corner from HQ, it was a major attraction for visitors at the event. It is also a famous attraction for non-cachers who are visiting Seattle. In fact, while we were visiting “the Troll” we noticed a tour bus pull up. People rushed off the bus to take photos with the sculpture, then after about 10 minutes, piled back in and moved onto the next destination. If only they knew about geocaching, then they wouldn’t have to pay for a tour to take them here to the Troll. We got to visit it (and many other places) for FREE by Geocaching!
Exploring the Fremont Neighborhood With the Help of Geocaching HQ GeoTour
Since we were not able to complete the HQ GeoTour during the Saturday event, Liz and I came back on Sunday when the crowds were away to complete the tour. It was a gorgeous Spring day in Seattle, and we just loved exploring this unique neighborhood. In fact, as we were in the middle of a Multi-Cache we stumbled across the Sunday Fremont Farmers Market. This was a nice break from caching as we wandered the stalls of arts and handicrafts. We also made a stop at the food truck court for some amazing street tacos! Then we continued on our HQ GeoTour.
We were really impressed with the creativity of the caches on the HQ GeoTour. One of the lesser known caches on the tour ended up being one of our favorites, Chairy. This creative cache took us by surprise when coming up to it. First we noticed all the chairs in the tree, but it took a bit for us to notice a very small chair hanging in the tree.
This little guy would end up being the keeper of the cache. So clever, but yet so simple at the same time. Funny how sometimes those simple caches can be the most fun.
Geocaches Hidden in Plain Sight on the Geocaching HQ GeoTour
As we continued on the HQ GeoTour, another great cache that stood out for us would have to be one that was hidden in plain sight. In Sight was actually the name of the cache, and it was clearly in sight. But what made this cache so unique was that the code to open this cache was written in stone, literally. Meaning there were stones in the concrete, and you have figure out that the stones were actually the combo to the cache to open it up. We laughed at the fact that this cache was so out in the open. We even ate at this restaurant and walked right by here the day before, yet we had no idea…even with the stones as clues on the ground!
The Geocaching HQ GeoTour is top notch, as you can imagine. It was located in such an awesome neighborhood of Seattle, and all the caches were within walking distance of each other. It was also interesting to be in an area where many “muggles” knew exactly what you were doing, because Geocaching HQ was right there (and they are probably used to seeing people wander around with GPS units)! The tour doesn’t take all day to complete, and can easily be completed within a couple of hours of starting. But you will have to plan around the famous Library Cache to make sure you can get in grab that cache during operating hours.
What a Great Way to Spend the Afternoon in Seattle on the Geocaching HQ GeoTour
We highly recommend the Geocaching HQ GeoTour if you are in the Seattle area. It’s a great tour for us Geocachers, but it’s also a great tour for the non-cachers in your family to go out and explore with you. If you have time, be sure to also set up a time with Geocaching HQ to go in for a visit so you can get your completion stamp. You should also follow the proper guidelines to book your visit to HQ – click HERE for details.
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